TUCSON, Ariz. (February 18, 2022) – Returning from a two-week break since their victory at New Mexico, the Northern Arizona Lumberjacks fell to the Arizona Wildcats Friday afternoon in Tucson.
Northern Arizona's lone victory came on Court 2, with junior
Mimi Bland holding off Arizona's Kayla Wilkins in a third-set tiebreaker. The Lumberjacks (1-2) nearly pulled out a victory in doubles play against the Wildcats (5-1), as Bland and
Gina Dittmann led Salma Ziouti and Midori Castillo-Meza 5-2 at No. 1 before the match went unfinished following Arizona's victories at No. 2 and No. 3.
Bland rallied for a 6-4 win in her opening set against Wilkins having trailed 3-1 to open the first set. Dropping the second set 6-0, Bland moved into a 10-point tiebreaker to decide the match as the Wildcats clinched the team result with victories on the other five singles courts.
Wilkins, who fell to Dittmann at No. 1 and defeated
Ellie Millard at No. 2 in last season's pair of matches, entered the day with 3-2 record in singles including a win in her lone match on Court 2 this season. Bland pulled ahead 5-1 in the tiebreaker before Wilkins rallied for three consecutive points to draw within one.
However, Bland split the next four as the two players traded serve before winning a pair of points with Wilkins at the service line. Clinching the victory with a win on her first of two serves, Bland defeated the junior who earned Honorable Mention All-Pac-12 a year ago.
Bland and Dittmann pulled ahead 3-1 in their doubles match, taking a 5-2 advantage before the match came to an early end.
During singles, Dittmann and
Elinor Beazley both held early advantages on their respective courts. Both won their opening game and battled before their matches went final in two sets.
Beazley held a 2-2 tie in the first while Dittmann could not fully recover from an early deficit to Salma Ziouti in her second set as the closest the sophomore could come was 4-3.
The Lumberjacks remain in Tucson for another day, taking on the San Jose State Spartans on Saturday at 12 p.m. The Spartans, 2-1 this season, reached the NCAA Tournament a year ago with a 15-2 record that included a Mountain West Conference championship.
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Match Results:
Doubles:
- Gina Dittmann/Mimi Bland (NAU) vs. Salma Ziouti/Midori Castillo-Meza (UA), 5-2 unfinished
- Parker Fry/Khim Iglupas (UA) def. Annabel Davis/Laura Duhl (NAU) 6-1*
- Kayla Wilkins/Kirsten Prelle (UA) vs. Elinor Beazley/Sofia Markova (NAU), 6-1
*Clinched Doubles Point | Order of Finish: (3, 2)
Singles:
- Salma Ziouti (UA) def. Gina Dittmann (NAU), 6-1, 6-3
- Mimi Bland (NAU) def. Kayla Wilkins (UA), 6-4, 0-6, 10-6
- Midori Castillo-Meza (UA) def. Sofia Markova (NAU), 6-0, 6-0
- Khim Iglupas (UA) def. Elinor Beazley (NAU), 6-3, 6-3
- Parker Fry (UA) def. Ava Neyestani (NAU), 6-1, 6-2**
- Kirsten Prelle (UA) def. Laura Duhl (NAU), 6-1, 6-1
**Clinched Match | Order of Finish: (3, 6, 5, 1, 4, 2)
